


A Gift

by HauntedAutomaton



Series: Inspired by Art [10]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Gift Giving, Mother's Day, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-02 08:13:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18807220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HauntedAutomaton/pseuds/HauntedAutomaton
Summary: Connie spent the day with her mom, but decided to get her other mom a little something too.





	A Gift

    Connie stood on the doorstep, trapped in that moment between knock and response. One hand clutched the small box she brought, the other absentmindedly picked, thumb to ring finger, at one of her fingernails. They were cut far shorter than her classmates’, but still, fabric dye had managed to get up under them. Still, the small stains remaining on her hands were nothing compared to the colorful splotches adorning her overalls.

    Pearl pulled aside the screen door. “Oh, Connie! I wasn’t expecting you today!”

    The girl grinned and ducked inside. “Sorry to surprise you, ma’am,” she said, removing her baseball cap as she entered.

    “Not at all!” Pearl replied. “When I heard the knock, I just didn’t know who it could be.”

    It had been some time since Connie had actually knocked before dashing inside the Universe abode.

    “Steven’s due to return soon. He wanted to spend the day with each of us in turn. Something about a human fertility ritual? Goodness knows you all came up with a lot of those-”

    Connie indulged in a stifled giggle. “It’s Mother’s Day, Pearl.”

    Pearl snapped her fingers. “That’s what he called it.”

    “It’s also why I’m here.”

    “Really?” Pearl looked quizzical, and accepted thin cardboard box being thrust into her arms.

    “Mhm, here,” Connie nodded, now wringing her cap in her hands. “Mom and I spent the day together making them, and I decided I wanted to make one for you, too.”

    “Make…” Pearl’s confusion only increased. She opened the box to find a single, folded piece of silk cloth. She extracted it from the package, and it flowed into the light of the living room. It was a bright teal blue, with gold and white trim, and ribbons of light sky blue throughout.

    “I…I don’t understand, what does this have something to do with the ritual?”

    Connie spared one more chuckle. “Mother’s Day is about spending time with and appreciating your mom. Well,” she added in the quick, thoughtful aside. “It’s really about selling more themed merchandise, but you can make it about moms if you want to. Mom and I never really did much for these kind of holidays, but lately, she’s been wanting to spend more time with me. So we did, and it was great! We dyed fabric to make silk scarves and dupatta. We weren’t very good at it, but we had a lot of fun. I didn’t even know mom was  _capable_  of just having fun. But I asked if I could make one for you, and mom thought that was a great idea.” The girl’s cap was twisted nearly in knots, her eyes staring intently at her feet. “I know you don’t really wear clothes-”

    “What is it for?” asked Pearl.

    “Um, well, you can use it as a scarf or a shawl or-”

    “No, I mean, why make it for me? For your maternal ritual?”

    “Oh! Well, because, ma’am, you’ve been really great mom to me too…do you like i-”

    Connie felt the air evacuate from her lungs, as the gem held her tight.

    “I LOVE IT!”

    “ᴵ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵗᵉˡˡ…” squeaked Connie.

    Pearl set her down, and now the girl could catch her breath enough to see the oceans pooling in the gem’s eyes.

    “You really think of me…that I could be…” Pearl was choking up.

    “Pearl, you’re a great mom,” Connie beamed, “And I know Steven thinks so too.”

    Pearl was now openly weeping. “But, I could never replace-”

    “People have more than one mom all the time. Steven has a ton!”

    “But, your ritual is about lineage and heredity-”

    “It’s about love!” Connie shouted. “And I love you, Pearl! You’ve been a great mom to me!”

    Pearl dropped to her knees, gripping the girl tightly. “I love you too, Connie.”

    Behind them, a chime and blue light filled the room. Steven stepped down from the dias with Amethyst and Garnet in tow. “Ok, Pearl, your turn!”

    He saw the pair kneeling in the living room. “Connie! Is everything ok?”

    “It’s fine,” said Connie over Pearl’s shoulder.

    “Steven, look what Connie made me!” Pearl held her gift aloft, making sure to let it catch the wind and light.

     “That’s so pretty!” he cried.

     “Wait,” said Pearl, “What is it my turn for?”

     “Mother’s Day! Didn’t I tell you?” the boy answered. “I’m making sure to spend time today with all my favorite moms. Like you!”

     The dams burst again, and Pearl spent a while on the floor, holding her children. When she finally regained some measure of composure, the group decided to head to the Strawberry Battlefield for a picnic. Garnet and Steven packed a lunch, Amethyst complemented Connie’s overalls, and Pearl tied her new silk sash at her side, absentmindedly smoothing and adjusting it throughout the trip, just to make sure to show it off at it’s best.


End file.
